Grain-car door.



fw. H. MUMACHBN.

'GRAIN CAR noon.

- APPLIoATIoN FILED 14x25, '1908.

Patented Dec. 8, 1.908.

WILLIAM `I-I. INICMACHEN, OF SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN.

GRAIN-CAR DOOR.

Application iled January 25, 1908.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

Serial No. 412,666.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. Mc- MACHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior, in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Grain-Oar Door, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in grain car doors, and it particularly pertains to an easily operated means for fastening the doors in position, as well as the provision of means for protecting the door from rough usage, coperating in this function with the fastening means.

The detailed construction will appear in' the course of the following description in which reference is had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, like numerals designating like parts throughout the several views, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of a grain car door equipped with my improved fastening means. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, the fastening means being shown in side elevation. Fig. 4 is a detailed transverse section of a corner of the door and door jamb taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the fasteners. i

Referring specifically to the accompanying drawings, 1 designates the door casing of a car, provided with a top cross-bar 2, and a bottom cross-bar 3, secured to the licor 4 of the car body. The door 5 comprises a lower section 5a and an upper section 5b of less size than the lower section, the sections being hinged together at 6 so as to swing inwardly. Mounted upon the inside corners of the casing 1, are angular plates 7, of substantially L shape, which are provided with an integral bead 8, designed to fit into a corresponding groove in longitudinal strips 8a secured to the sides of the door 5, and extending the entire length thereof, and to effect a sealed joint betweenthe door and the door casing. The door 5 carries at its base a transversely arranged metal plate 9, projecting slightly therebelow, which fits into a groove 10, arranged in the lower cross-bar 4. Said door is further reinforced in the rear by a transversely arranged metal plate 9a secured thereto in a suitable manner and extending around the beveled sides 5c of the door.

An auxiliary door section 11 vis centrally located at the base of the section 5 of the door 5,`and is hinged .to a transverse cleat 12, the door 11 being designed to be opened to facilitate the removal of Vgrain before the door 5 is removed. The door 11 is provided with a rear plate 11at of sufficient size to close the opening in the door 5. Members 13 of the hinges of the door 1l extend the entire length thereof and project downwardly beyond the base, the said members being rovided at their base with openings which fit over outwardly extending studs 14, and being locked upon said studs by pins 15 passing therethrough and held upon the door l1 by flexible connections 16. The door 5 is manipulated for the purpose of removal by handlesV 17 of inverted U-shape, having their one leg secured to the door and their other leg secured to the side strips 8a. The handles 17 are connected by chains 18 with suspending eyes 19 secured to the casing 1.

The above description relates to the construction of the door proper and my present invention resides, particularly in the provision of the transverse base plates 9 and 9a, the advantages whereof will be hereinafter set forth.

The novel fastening means comprises a locking member shown in detail in Fig. 5, a plurality of which are mounted on each side of the casing 1. Y The locking element comprises a lever 20 having a tangential relation to the eye 21 at one end thereof, and said lever 20 is fulcrumed'to the casing l by a securing bolt loosely passing through the eye 21. A securing hook 22 is eccentrically fulcrumed upon the eye portion 21 of the lever 20, as at 23, and is designed to engage eye bolts 24, carried by the side strips 8a and of course arranged at intervals corresponding to the intervals of the levers 20.

In operation, the door is secured in position by Swingin the levers 20 into position indicated by fullyl engaged the securing hooks 22 in the eyes 24. The lever 20 is then swung downwardly to assume the full line position of Fig. 3, and, owing to the eccentric disposition of the hook 22 with relation to said lever, in the swinging movement thereof, the tension will be exerted upon the hook 22, until its fulcrum is at a point off center, when said hook will be positively locked in the eyes 24. When the car is filled with grain it will be observed that the beads 8 upon the angle plate 7 will interfit in the grooves in the side strips ines in Fig. 3, after having' 8a, and that the base plate 9 will intert in the groove 10 in the cross bar 4 or iioor of the car as the case may be. This will effect a' perfectly sealed joint between the door and the casing. To remove the contents of the car the door 11 is first opened and the grain egresses in sufhcient degree to permit the operator to insert his arm and open any inside fastenings which may be applied lto the eyes 25, of which there are two, one being shown in Fig. 3 as attached to the strip 9a. The lower portion 5a' of the door is then swung inwardly to permit of the further egress of grain by swinging the levers 20, to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 5, and withdrawing the hooks 22, when the saine is unlocked. Should it be desired to enlarge the opening in the doorway, the entire door 5 is detached in the manner already described, and may then be forced inwardly and suspended by the handles 17 from suitable ceiling hooks or supports.

One of the advantageous features of my invention, and which is to be considered in connection with my improved fastening means, are the plates 9 and 9 arranged transversely at the base of the door. The plate 9 effects a sealedv joint at the basel of the door and possesses a second function which is also performed by the plate 9a, namely, of presenting animpenetrable area at the base of the door so that the door cannot be destroyed or broken by nails. Heretofore it has been most common to secure car doors by nailing thesame to the floor, and these plates protect the door in the manner described.

Another very important feature of the invention is a function secured by the fastening means and other than those of drawing the doorA sections inward and of securing them. The additional function is that of forcing the door open when the lever 20 is moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 to that indicated in dotted lines. It will be noted that the hook 22 enters the eye bolt 24 from the upper side of the latter, and; therefore, when the lever is moved to release the hook the latter will remain in engagement with the eye. As the lever is swung toward the dotted line osition, it follows that an inward thrust will be imparted to the hook, and as it cannot free itself from the eye the result is that the door will be forced open, thereby obviating the necessity of prying or hammering the door for this purpose, as 1s generally necessary.

I claim :d

In combination with a door frame having Stiles provided with vertically disposed beads located upon their outer sides and a sill provided with a groove which extends from stile to stile, a door having at its side edges grooves for the reception of said beads and at its lower edge a projecting plate adapted to enter the groove 1n the sill, levers fulcrumed upon the stiles, links pivoted to the levers and eyes mounted upon the door for the reception of the links; said levers when swung adapted to move the door longitudinally along the beads upon the stiles and force the projecting plate into the groove in the sill.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses WILLIAM II. MCMACHEN.

Witnesses:

D. E. MMR, A. T. ROCK. 

